Milford Mayor Ben Blake is asking homeowners to report bear sightings to state authorities rather than City Hall.

He's also asking residents to keep trash cans inside until garbage day and to spread lime scent on compost piles in an effort to keep bears out of residential areas.

"The DEEP has a unit that does deal with wildlife like bears and foxes," Blake says, referencing the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. "They have guidelines as to when they will address it."

The number of such sightings are on the rise across western Connecticut. Blake says he saw one himself in a friend's backyard on Tuesday. That same day, a bear was spotted in the middle of the city's downtown.

And residents of Golden Hill Street spotted one in a parking lot earlier this week.

The mayor says that if the bear is in a heavily populated area, the state will come out and remove it.